Worth the Wait
by BlackVelvetBand
Summary: Annabeth overhears a vicious rumor which causes her to believe that Percy is about to break up with her...so she concocts a plan worthy of Aphrodite in order to win him back. Rated T for adult themes and minor language.


A/N: I know I was said I was done writing my own fanfiction. However, I couldn't help but write this one. I read the entire Percy Jackson series this summer, and Percy and Annabeth wouldn't get out of my head. So here's my attempt to force them to leave me alone. This story deals with some adult themes, so kiddies, you were warned.

Disclaimer: If I owned Percy Jackson…the things I would do to him…Oh, it wasn't referring to _that_ meaning of the word own ;).

* * *

**Worth the Wait  
****A One-shot by BlackVelvetBand**

"_Poor Percy, he has to put up with Annabeth every day. __**And**__ she's his __**girlfriend**__. Now __**that's**__ one battle I wouldn't want to fight." _

Annabeth Chase let out a short scream of frustration. Said scream was accompanied by the soft thud of a notebook being forcefully thrown onto the grass. Less than a second later a mechanical pencil hit the offending notebook with a soft plunk. Annabeth winced as the sound grated on her already frazzled nerves.

She puffed out an uncharacteristic sigh of frustration and slid down the cushions of the wicker couch. Annabeth threw her hand over her eyes, despite the fact that the large beech tree she was lying under only allowed a few dappled flecks of sunshine to fall on her flushed cheekbones.

It wasn't right. The proportions were off, the calculations must be in error― it was wrong, plain and simple.

It was the Fourth of July and instead of joining in the unplanned activities taking place all over camp that day, Annabeth had been out here all morning. At first she had reveled in the tranquility of her 'working place.' Chiron had provided the wicker couch for her from the basement of the big house and it was here, under the shade of the tree a little way down the creek, where Annabeth spent a great deal of her free time finishing her last drafts for the reconstruction of Olympus.

All that was left to design was the monument to the Second War against Kronos. It was the final structure that would complete the rebuilding of the celestial city.

And it was wrong.

For some reason, Annabeth just could not bring the elusive vision in her head onto the paper. Every time she attempted something different, her imagination would drift to her original idea which revolved around placing a huge statue of a certain dark-haired demigod in the middle of the monument.

Then her mind would start to drift. She would be in the temple and the actual Percy would emerge from behind his likeness, sweep her into his arms and…well, those thoughts were the main reason she was blushing.

Annabeth shook her head in self-disgust. She had a strong inclination that most of the gods would _really_ not appreciate that particular piece of art. She also knew for a fact that they definitely would not like Percy and her desecrating the monument in that fashion. Not like they had ever done…what they had been doing.

Annabeth's inability to concentrate had also not been helped by the inordinate amount of noise that had been issuing from the sword arena for the last forty-five minutes. Whatever had been going on had seemed so engaging that Annabeth had been sorely tempted to drop her work and go join in the fun. _Then_, on top of it all (her trouble developing a suitable monument, her brain having a field day imagining Percy doing unspeakable things to her, and the noise) she had to listen to that comment repeat like clockwork every three or four minutes in her already overtaxed brain.

"_Poor, Percy, he has to put up with Annabeth every day. __**And**__ she's his __**girlfriend**__. Now __**that's**__ a battle I wouldn't want to fight."_

Annabeth had overheard the snippet of conversation between two members of the Hermes cabin at breakfast. Annabeth had just lobbed a piece of toast across the pavilion at her boyfriend who had been asking if she was still 'Too scared to race him up the lava wall' that afternoon. The toast projectile was well deserved in Annabeth's mind. The comment from the Hermes girls, not so much.

She was a good girlfriend, wasn't she? They'd been together for almost two years now. She didn't have much experience with relationships but she thought Percy was just as happy as she was. They acted much as they always had except their arguments now ended with kisses and teasing Percy seemed to have gained a whole new level of fun.

What would make her a bad girlfriend? Sure she and Percy sniped at each other from time to time, but that's how it had always been. Annabeth still watched his back in battle and Percy (who was still invincible) fed her ambrosia afterwards. They took turns taking care of Blackjack, who had played an instrumental part in helping Annabeth sneak away from boarding school to visit Percy during the school year.

Annabeth was still pondering what would make her 'a battle' of a girlfriend when a squelching noise garnered her attention. Less than a second later, a slightly wet, very shirtless Percy Jackson threw himself face down on top of her.

"Oooofff," Annabeth let out a whoosh of air as her boyfriend's weight settled on top of her. His damp black hair tickled her neck as he rested his cheek beneath her collarbone. One tanned hand traced blindly down her arm until he found her fingers, which he intertwined with his own.

"So tired," he mumbled against her neck. Annabeth made a mental note that his skin was cool and refreshing. It almost felt like an ocean wave had just washed over her.

"You've been awake for less than six hours, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth said with a hint of disbelief. She absentmindedly ran her fingers through his tousled hair.

"Blame it on the Styx," Percy muttered. "And Nico," he added as an afterthought.

Annabeth cocked one eyebrow. She understood the first part of the answer. Ever since Percy had bathed in the River Styx and taken on the curse of Achilles, he tired more easily. Percy took a nap almost every afternoon and could barely stand up straight if he didn't. The only exceptions were on days when he did a lot of fighting. On those occasions, the River seemed to give him a continuous adrenaline high until the battle was over. Annabeth remembered being particularly shocked at his energy when they were forced to pursue the Hydra down the length of Broadway just a couple of weeks ago. She vaguely remembered him sticking out his tongue at the creature and screaming 'Your mother was a common garden snake!' at it.

"I get the Styx, but what does Nico have to do with anything?" Annabeth asked, frowning. "And why are you wet?"

"Nico sort of challenged me to a fight in the practice arena. It was nice; no one ever does anymore because of the whole Achilles thing. And the kids were all staring at us like we were our dads about to duke it out or something, so of course I had to accept," Percy explained.

"Of course," Annabeth said dryly. Percy was such a sucker for wide-eyed new campers. Despite his healthy sense of modesty, he would do anything they asked him to because they reminded him of himself when he was little.

"Yeah," he continued. "So we might have gotten a little out of hand." Percy shrugged.

"Define out of hand," Annabeth suggested, staring at the messy head on her chest. Percy raised his chin so he could look at her.

"Nico _might_ have called up a band of skeleton musketeers and some deceased Amazon archers. And then we _might_ have fought all the way out of the arena, through the dining pavilion, past the cabins and right to the edge of the canoe lake. And I mean I know I'm invincible, but was resurrecting the dead really necessary?" Percy demanded indignantly. "So I summoned this huge wave of water in retaliation but got a little carried away because I swept not only Nico but all of the kids watching us into the lake too." Percy finished his story with a quick grin and ducked his head back to his previous position.

"Well that explains the noise. But why are _you_ wet?" Annabeth asked, unaccustomed to Percy emerging from any escapades with water not fully dry.

"I let myself get wet because I was sweaty and it just kind of seemed fair," Percy's reasoning was eclipsed as he let out a huge yawn.

"Sounds like fun," Annabeth smiled. "Sorry I missed it," she added. She would have sided with Nico.

"It was awesome," Percy agreed happily. "But so tiring," he yawned again and smiled as he adjusted his head. His thumb traced lazy circles on the inside of her wrist.

"You're not actually planning on sleeping there, are you?" Annabeth asked after a few moments of silence.

"Mmhmm," Percy responded languidly, and she could feel his contented smile against her skin. "You're the best girlfriend ever, Annabeth," he murmured.

"And you are _such_ a Seaweed Brain," she returned. But secretly flattered by the last comment, she allowed Percy to remain slumbering where he was. And though it wasn't the most practical use of her time, Annabeth lazily let herself surrender to the calm of the midsummer afternoon and drifted off to sleep after Percy.

- - -

Later that afternoon, a freshly showered Annabeth walked toward the stables. She had just beaten Percy in climbing the lava-spouting rock wall, quite a feat, considering Percy didn't really have to avoid the lava.

Annabeth always looked forward to taking caring of Blackjack. Even though others would have looked after the pegasus if she didn't, Annabeth enjoyed brushing out his shiny fur and smoothing any rumpled feathers in his wings. Usually she ended up here in the middle of the night if she had a nightmare; the repetitive motions associated with the task were soothing.

"Hey there, Blackjack," she murmured in greeting as she entered his stall. He whinnied and nuzzled his snout against her outstretched hands. Annabeth took that as 'Hello' in horse-speak, but it was hard to tell without Percy around to translate.

Blackjack gave a sort of series of snorts and his large, onyx eyes stared at her questioningly. "Percy's taking a shower if that's what you're asking," Annabeth guessed at the pegasus's question. She led Blackjack out of the stall and led him out the back door into the brilliant sunshine so he could spread his wings.

Annabeth had just begun brushing the creature's neck when she overheard a group of campers enter the stable through the front. They were obviously returning their animals to the stables after a flight.

"You're so lucky you got asked to the fireworks, Marissa." Annabeth recognized the deep voice of one of the Apollo girls, Tanya or something was her name.

"I'm so excited," a higher-pitched voice returned, Annabeth thought it belonged to one of the older Aphrodite Cabin members. "But what am I going to wear?"

"Lisa got a new Prada jacket that would be perfect with your complexion," a male-voice responded. His love of designer labels indicated he was also from Aphrodite. "If you let her borrow your Gucci sandals, I'm sure she'll trade."

"Did you get asked, Todd?" Tanya or something said with an air of wistfulness in her voice.

"Unfortunately no," Todd responded. He sighed dramatically. "But what I wouldn't give to have Percy fine is my middle name Jackson ask me to go with him." Annabeth's snort of laughter at this proclamation was covered by Blackjacks' own. Grinning, Annabeth leaned her head around Blackjack's neck to see Todd leaning dramatically against a stall door, while the girls ushered the last animal into his corral.

"I think half the camp would kill for that to happen," the older girl (Marissa was it?) said airily. Annabeth ducked behind Blackjack once again as the sound of creaking hinges indicated the closing of the stall. She didn't want them to notice her spying on them. She vaguely wished she hadn't left her Yankee's cap back in her cabin.

"Too bad he's dating that Annabeth Chase," Tanya sighed. "I don't know what he sees in her." Annabeth froze in mid-brush stroke. Beside her, Blackjack stiffend, his wings shuddering dangerously. Had someone declared this Pick on Annabeth Day? she wondered, patting Blackjack's neck soothingly.

"You haven't been around here as long as we have," Marissa said with an attitude that conveyed she knew all of the world's secrets. "Percy and Annabeth go way back. I'm pretty sure they almost died in each other's arms a couple of times," she let out her own version of the trademark Aphrodite romantic sigh. "Sometimes love isn't just about looks. We should know," Marissa added flippantly. "Physically, she could be pretty. I've been itching to give her a makeover since I first laid eyes on her, but I think Silena's the only one who could have managed it. She was a legend."

"You're preaching to the choir," Todd responded. "Still, I think little Tanya here has a point. I mean all they do is bicker, and Annabeth's too busy designing buildings to spend any time with her boyfriend. I heard," Todd's voice dropped into a whisper and Annabeth strained around Blackjack to hear.

"I heard," he repeated, "that Percy's planning on leaving her soon. My source heard Percy Iris-messaging his cyclops brother. Apparently he was complaining that they've been together for almost two years and Annabeth refuses to sleep with him."

"No way, that's horrible," Marissa whispered, but the delighted tone in her voice didn't match her words at all.

"I know," Todd said relish. "He gave up _immortality_ for her and she didn't even thank him properly_,_ if you know what I mean."

The small group left the stables, the topic of conversation switching to which Stoll brother was better looking. Annabeth released a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding and had to tug on Blackjack's wing to keep him from going after the campers. Once she had managed to calm him down, she sagged against his glossy mane for support. The animal neighed softly, a comforting, yet enraged sound.

_I heard that Percy's planning on leaving her soon._

Annabeth had never considered― the thought had never even crossed her mind ―that Percy would want to leave her. Annabeth tried to tell herself that she knew better than to trust the Aphrodite Cabin with their incessant love of gossip. Yet, her mother had once told her that rumors are often rooted in truth, and the possibility that this one might be the bothered her more than a little.

_They've been together for almost two years and she won't sleep with him._

The thought that Percy might leave her because they hadn't slept together was shocking. It wasn't that Annabeth had never thought about it, plenty of times that morning alone in fact. It was just she never knew how to bring it up. She'd been waiting for Percy to take the initiative on that front. There was no looming threat over their heads so it wasn't like Annabeth had the desire to jump into bed with him just in case they didn't live through the next day. She was happy taking it one day at a time, waiting for the right moment.

Had Percy been trying to tell her that he wanted to…have sex…and she just hadn't been paying attention? The other day when he'd interrupted her drafting again, things had gotten a little more heated than usual…

_Di immortales. _

Annabeth Chase, the smartest demigod of her age, had finally come across a problem she had no idea what to do with.

She started stroking Blackjack again, running her hand reassuringly down his neck when he looked at her in concern (at least that's what she thought it was).

"Hey."

Annabeth dropped the brush at the sound of the familiar and usually welcome voice that belonged to Percy. She swore colorfully, as he came around to the side of Blackjack she was standing on.

"I thought you might be here," he continued totally oblivious. "Are you okay?" Well, maybe he wasn't _totally_ oblivious.

"Yeah, I'm great," Annabeth said cringing as the words sounded hollow and fake. Percy reached out with both hands and pulled her towards him.

"You don't look great," he noted, staring down at her, his brow furrowed in confusion over his bright green eyes. "Actually, you look like someone just told you they were going to tear down Olympus and use another architect." He paused, his eyes growing comically wide. "They didn't just tell you that, did they?"

Annabeth shook her head. "No, you idiot," she said darkly.

"Is it because I didn't ask you to the fireworks tonight?" Percy said quickly, frowning. "I just assumed that we would go together. I mean we did last year, but I'll still ask you if that's what you want―" Annabeth cut him off by pressing her lips against his quickly.

Percy drew her back against him when she turned away and slowly returned the favor. When they parted, both were smiling.

"If I'd known that you just wanted a kiss, I would have given you one earlier," Percy joked, raising one eyebrow.

"Shut up," Annabeth responded, shoving his chest playfully. "You take the wings and I'll get the coat." Percy nodded and pecked her cheek before going into the stable to grab a wing brush. "And you," Annabeth said softly in Blackjack's ear, "not a word to Percy."

Annabeth resumed her task, her brain already forming a plan. She would stop at nothing to prevent Percy from changing his mind about leaving her.

_Silena_, she thought ruefully, _this had better work._

- - -

Annabeth paused outside of the door to Cabin Three. She could hear Percy inside talking.

"Annabeth's fine too, Tyson," Percy was saying. So he _was _Iris-messaging Tyson. Her stomach did a nasty flip. What exactly had he been telling his brother?

_It's alright_, she told herself. _You have a plan._

Annabeth looked down at the sparkling silver material of the dress the members of the Aphrodite cabin had picked out for her. Given her, actually. In fact, they'd all been so thrilled that she had _asked_ for a makeover, they had given her everything she was wearing and told her to come back anytime for more 'freebies.'

"Actually, I'm a sort of worried, Bro," Percy was saying. "She's was acting really strangely this afternoon." Annabeth could almost picture Percy shaking his head, brow adorably wrinkled in confusion.

"You should make her feel better," Annabeth heard Tyson's voice proclaim with its childish enthusiasm. Yes, Percy could make her feel better…by not dumping her. Her stomach did a trapeze artist-esque somersault at the thought. Annabeth nearly bolted right then. However, before she could march away, berating herself for setting aside her pride for such a stupid, moronic, Seaweed Brain, she knocked on the door. _Yeesh, even the knock sounded jittery,_ Annabeth thought.

"I've gotta go Tyson, that's Annabeth. We're going to the fireworks together," Percy informed his brother. Tyson told him to have fun and Percy bid him goodbye. She heard the noise of his sandals on the wooden planks of the cabin floor as he crossed to the door.

"Hey there," he said as he pulled open the door. He froze in mid-motion taking in her appearance. Annabeth tried to recall in her head what she had looked like in the mirror.

She was wearing a silvery dress that had a big red sash. They had put make up on her in order 'accentuate her eyes,' Her hair, they had left down, pulling a few select strands back.

Annabeth scuffed one ballet-flat clad foot, an old habit, waiting for Percy to speak.

"Wow," he said eventually. "Did I miss a memo?"

"What do you mean?" Annabeth asked, blushing profusely as he continued to stare.

"You're dressed up," he returned.

"Obviously, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth returned coldly. "Does it look bad or something?" Percy shook his head quickly, realizing his mistake from the tone in her voice.

"No, no," he almost stammered. "You look like five million drachmas." He sounded so sincere. If possible, Annabeth's blush deepened.

"You can give the credit to the Aphrodite kids," she admitted. "I finally gave into their badgering and let them give me a makeover."

"They do good work," Percy affirmed with a nod of his head. "But I've always been a fan you in armor," he added with a patented smirk.

Annabeth smacked him lightly on the shoulder and winced when her hand bounced off. She always forgot the invulnerability thing.

"Come on, let's get going or we're not going to get a good spot," she said, taking his hand in hers and tugged him along towards the beach.

- - -

"The Hephaestus kids really outdid themselves this year," Percy commented as he and Annabeth made their way back toward the Cabins. They'd gone for a walk on the beach after the fireworks and hadn't run into any campers on the return journey.

"Yeah," Annabeth agreed quietly. She looked at their entwined fingers, which Percy was swinging nonchalantly between their bodies while they meandered their way up the hill past the dining pavilion.

Annabeth thought she was going to be sick. She had thoroughly convinced herself this afternoon that she could go through with this. That she loved Percy more than anything and that she would do anything in order to keep him, but now that the time was almost here for her to make her first move, she wasn't quite sure she could do it.

When they reached the courtyard in the middle of the cabins, Percy smiled crookedly at her. "You want to come hang out for a little while?" he asked, jerking his head in the direction of his cabin.

'Hang out' to Percy meant a multitude of things. It meant anything from sitting and talking, to playing cards, or making out. Any of which would have sounded great to Annabeth, if she didn't have a hidden agenda which made her ill with nerves.

_Just say yes_, Annabeth told herself. But the words came out before she could stop them.

"No. I'm tired." They were said in such a rush that she was surprised Percy could understand them at all. His brow furrowed and confusion crept into his eyes making Annabeth feel almost guilty.

"Okay," he said slowly, drawing the word out as if it would help him process her reply. "Goodnight, Wise Girl," he said and bent down to kiss her on the lips.

In a near hysterical state of panic, Annabeth turned her head to the side so Percy ended up kissing her cheek instead. She muttered a quick good night and sprinted away like Kronos himself was after her.

Percy blinked in her wake, swearing colorfully as he pondered what he had done wrong.

- - -

Percy was lying in his bed still fully clothed and staring at the ceiling a half-an-hour later when there was a knock at the door. He opened it to find Annabeth, staring at him. Her eyes were slightly red but she still looked like a goddess in her silver dress. Her hair was now completely wild, curling over her shoulders in fairy-tale waves. He had to force himself to breathe as relief coursed through him.

Annabeth looked at Percy, and had to force herself to breathe for a completely different reason. She _could_ do this as long as she didn't think too hard.

Percy had just opened his mouth to speak when Annabeth launched herself at him. Her hands tangled in his hair, jerking his face down to hers so she could ease her mouth over his. Percy made a surprised sort of grunt in the back of his throat, but his hands slipped easily to her hips, pulling her against him. "Annabeth, what―"

"Shut the door," she said, the intended command ruined by the waver in her voice. Percy reached behind her and pushed the door closed, even as Annabeth meshed their mouths together once more. Annabeth gasped as she found her back pressed into the weathered wood of the door.

She inhaled sharply as Percy's lips began to explore her jaw and her exposed neck. Annabeth almost forgot what her objective was as his teeth nibbled gently on her earlobe, but she could not be deterred or she would lose all of these sensations for life.

With trembling fingers Annabeth tugged Percy's shirt over his head. He let it fall easily. This was not uncharted territory. When her hands drifted lower, attempting to undo the clasp on his jeans, Percy stiffened. This was something new.

"What are you doing?" he asked, his voice lower than usual, huskier. If Annabeth hadn't been so terrified, she might have swooned over its effect.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" she snapped. Percy's larger hands closed around hers and held them steady. She wondered if he could feel the tremors wracking her entire frame with the contact.

"Why are you trying to take my pants off?" he returned. She could tell he was struggling to maintain his composure.

"Only you would ask why a girl is trying off your pants," Annabeth huffed venomously. Wasn't this hard enough as it was without him asking inane questions?

"Yes, but usually when one hears about these things the girl isn't shaking like she's about to have an audience with Ares," Percy returned, squeezing her hands for emphasis. "Really, what are you doing Annabeth?"

"I'm trying to sleep with you!" she burst out, shoving him away. "I'm _trying_ to keep you happy so you won't…dump me," the last words were so soft that Percy almost didn't hear them. He was so flabbergasted by the statement that he almost staggered onto his mattress. He stared at her, his green eyes dark. Annabeth groaned in embarrassment, and sagged against the door, hiding her face in her hands.

"What did you just say?" Percy said a second later. His face was scrunched up like he was trying to solve a difficult geometry problem.

Annabeth figured that it couldn't get any worse than this. "I was going to sleep with you so you wouldn't dump me," she said through gritted teeth, biting back tears. Her already wounded pride refused to let her cry in front of Percy. "But I see that it's a lost cause. So, I guess this is it," she turned to face the door, her hand on the knob. "It's been great."

"Wait," Percy lunged toward her as she opened the door, clutching her wrist in his hand and reclosing the door with the other. "I'm not dumping anyone. Come here," he ordered gently, pulling her towards the bed. "Sit," he commanded.

Annabeth glared at him reproachfully but for once did as he asked instead of the other way around. "Can we just get this over with?" she asked petulantly. "Being broken up with is embarrassing enough without you drawing it out."

"I already told you that I'm not breaking up with you," Percy said forcefully, running a hand through his perpetually ruffled hair. He pinned her with his emerald stare, and she saw the mystification in his eyes. "Do you want to break up with me?"

"NO!" she shouted. "No," this time quieter. "No, I don't."

"So, just help me out here," Percy said, pacing in front of her nervously."Why exactly did you decide that you had to…sleep with me tonight?"

Annabeth flushed brighter than the color of the sash on her dress. "I just heard some people talking…about us," she admitted lamely.

"And?" Percy prompted, turning in his path to face her. Annabeth blinked. Usually it was she who asked the questions.

"They said that you were going to dump me because I hadn't thanked you properly for giving up immortality for…" she trailed off, unable to finish.

Annabeth had always assumed, like everyone else, she supposed that Percy had given up the gods' offer of immortality for her. However, they had never brought the matter up, and after the events of tonight, she knew she couldn't handle it if he said there was a different reason.

"For you," Percy finished for her. He stopped pacing and came to sit next to her on the mattress. He took both of her hands in his and held them between his own. He anxiously traced the calluses on her palm caused by years of handling her knife. "I gave up immortality for you," he said gently, his eyes trained on where his larger fingers ghosted over hers. If possible, he blushed just as scarlet as Annabeth.

"Look Annabeth," Percy continued after a moment, pausing. Annabeth could tell that he was trying to find the right words to say. "Please don't take this the wrong way. I know I can be a Seaweed Brain sometimes and things don't always come out the way I mean them," he glanced up at her, seeking encouragement. Annabeth nodded, worrying her lip between her teeth.

"It's not that I don't want to sleep with you…eventually" Percy said, fumbling the words a little. "It's just…we've spent a large portion of our lives rushing around always trying to save something. There were moments when I didn't know if we'd live to see the next five minutes. But I guess…we have time now." He shrugged noncommittally. "I like that feeling. I don't want to rush things. I know most guys would not normally say this but, if it's okay with you, I'd rather…wait." He looked up at her, uncertain, almost like the twelve year old boy who stared up at her that day after defeating the Minotaur.

"You've never been normal, Percy," Annabeth teased. "And it's okay with me." Annabeth couldn't hide her smile. He was just so…Percy sometimes. And she was the luckiest girl on the face of the planet.

He returned her smile with a relieved grin, kissing her quickly on the mouth. "I just…kinda want it to be special, to happen when it's supposed to. Besides," he added, tugging on a strand of her honey-colored hair, "I'm still sort of scared your Mom's going to kick my ass."

Annabeth laughed and threw her arms around his neck. "I think she'll warm up to you eventually."

"Yeah, when Hades takes up ballet," Percy retorted with a snort.

"Well he is rather graceful in battle," Annabeth returned suggestively causing them to dissolve into laughter, releasing the tension that had previously filled the room.

"Is it okay if we hang out for a while?" Annabeth breathed into Percy's ear.

"If you think you won't be tempted to take off my pants again. I know it's difficult," he proclaimed with an air of long-suffering. Annabeth smacked him, grimacing when her hand bounced off.

She was glad things were back to normal… as normal as they ever were for two demigods.

- - -

A year and a half afterward Annabeth awoke as the first rays of the sun filtered in through Percy's apartment window. The brilliant light was scattered by the typical New York grime on the glass. She smiled as she felt the warmth of the skin beneath her cheek, the rhythmic beating of Percy's heart syncopated by the rise and fall of his chest.

Their first time together― last night― had been…glorious. She couldn't find another word. She really was the luckiest girl alive. She was more than grateful that she had made the decision not to join Artemis's Hunters all those years ago. _Poor girls_, she thought, unable to suppress a small giggle, _they have no idea what they're missing. _

Percy stirred, dark lashes flickering open to reveal the green eyes she loved so dearly. They were dark like the depths of the ocean this morning, dyed with desire. Annabeth was quite enamored with the color.

"What's so funny?" he asked, smiling down at her. She slid herself up his torso so that she could gaze down at him.

"You still drool in your sleep," she said with a wicked grin.

"Oh yeah?" Percy demanded, rolling them over so quickly that Annabeth let out a gasp of surprise. "Well," he said, lowering his face so their noses were touching, "you still have princess curls." He tugged one just for good measure, muffling her indignant reply with his lips.

_This was definitely worth the wait_, Annabeth thought to herself. It was the last coherent thought she managed to have before she was once again tangled up in her own, personal, Seaweed Brain.

* * *

A/N: There you go folks! Hope you enjoyed it. Please leave review, they're better than drachmas.

If you read my other works and are still waiting for the next chapter of Points in the Right Direction, we hope to have it out before September.


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